Our Sci-Fi Future, Silly vs Terrifying

The future is upon us! Modern technological developments are now strikingly similar to the science fiction of the past. While we aren’t living in domed cities with flying cars, we’ve got buildings that reach for the heavens, drones delivering our packages, and self-driving cars are just over the horizon.

The media often likes to compare new advancements in technology to the works of like The Jetsons, Star Trek, and some 1980’s and 90’s Cyberpunk because in many cases, the new technology is a fairly easy comparison. Lazy, but easy.

Flying cars, flat panel TVs, and video phones often are compared to The Jetsons, yet all of these innovations were envisioned decades before the TV show hit the airwaves.

In 1933, H.G. Wells speculated we might have small personal aircraft in his work The Shape of Things to Come – and we’re not much closer to having them now than we were then.

Flat panel TVs were already in development in the early 1960s (around the same time the show was on the air) but were envisioned much earlier.

The concept of videotelephony initially became popular in the late 1870s, and Nazi Germany developed a working system in the 1930s.

Star Trek is another show that’s dragged out for constant comparisons, this time whenever anything vaguely resembles its holographic or replicator technology.

Where a modern 3D printer is “replicating” the shape of an item, A Star Trek replicator was recreating an item on a molecular level. Try eating a 3D printed apple!

While German scientists have created a system of scanning an object and recreating it elsewhere, they’re not really “beaming it” anywhere, but are basically combing a fax machine with a 3D printer.

Cyberpunk tales are typically set in worlds where corporations control innovation, launch satellites to connect the world to spread information, and maintain private armies. That vision is much closer to our reality.

There are now giant corporations that literally control how we access the Internet

We already have private citizens like Elon Musk who is a billionaire with a private space program, who also is developing new ways to harness solar power.

The point, is that perhaps it is too easy to see today’s world our old entertainment and ignore the fact that much of what The Jetsons “predicted” was completely wrong. We (sadly) don’t ever expect to see a flying car that can fold up into a briefcase.

Likewise, teleportation and warp speed likely will remain just part of the Star Trek mythos.

Perhaps when it comes to the darker side of science fiction, we should be cautious and alert about where we may be headed, and should regard it as a portent of what to avoid -not a future we should embrace.

As for Musk, let’s just hope he chooses to fight for good instead of building a secret mountain lair.

The term Cloud computing is the delivery of hosted services and applications over the internet.

Cloud computing enables people and businesses to use a computer resource, such as storage or an application, without having to build and maintain computing infrastructures in house. So you won’t need to set up a server and start a coding for the next 3 months.

There are many benefits form Cloud computing, here are a few:

Latest Updates

The provider of a cloud service or application will continue to update their system with the latest functions and facilities and provide security updates.

Do more with less

Having data and software running in the cloud, companies and end users can reduce the size of their own data centers or eliminate their data center altogether. The reduction of the numbers of servers and software can reduce IT costs without impacting businesses and their IT capabilities.

Flexible costs

With cloud computing the costs are more flexible because companies only need to pay for what they need or use. Most cloud provider’s offer different levels of services at different sign up fees which can depend on the requirements and number of staff etc.

Availability

Cloud computing providers maintain a 99.99% uptime. Normally if you are online the service is available to use whenever and wherever. Some applications work off-line and will update and synchronise when you are next connection to the internet.

Mobility

Your applications and data are available to you or your employees no matter where they are in the world. Staff can take their work anywhere via smart phones and tablets or can work from a laptop. As well has Jordan IT Services I also own a graphic design business. Jordan IT Service needs an office with staff, however the design business can be run from a laptop from anywhere. So, I find myself taking my laptop everywhere with me, even on holiday.

Finally – Cloud computing security, is it safe?

Security is a major concern for any business sending data out to a cloud service. Many businesses and organizations are bound by complex obligations and government standards and have a fear of loss or theft. With more reliable data encryption and security tools available, things are slowly becoming more and more cloud based.

SD Cards

Universally used across a spectrum of digital hardware buying the right SD card can be confusing. The three main considerations when purchasing are:

A) Which Size?

Well you will of course need to check your device but basically there are three physical sizes. The original SDSC standard size of 32 x 24mm and it has nine copper pins. These are most likely to be found in digital photography equipment . Next there is the smaller (and mostly obsolete) miniSD which measures 21.5 x 20mm with 11 pins which will be found in older model smart-phones, or the smallest and now most common microSD which comes in at 11 x 15mm and has eight pins. This size is now the most widely used as it is used in the latest smart-phones. You can however, by using an adapter, use the smaller cards in a standard SD card slot – but it doesn’t work the other way round – you can’t use a standard sized card in a device originally designed to take a smaller card.

B) Size Matters

How Much Storage do I need? The first cards were standard SD with a small 1-2GB capacity. The newer SDHC – Secure Digital Standard Capacity cards depending of course on how much you are willing to spend, can store anything from 2 -32GB. There are also SDXC – Secure Digital eXtended Capacity cards but these have a different file format and cannot be read by older devices with a standard SDHC slot. (SDHC cards use FAT32 file unlike SDXC which use the exFAT file format). Your device will identify which cards are compatible – if in doubt contact the retail outlet where you bought it.

C) Speed

This is probably the most confusing bit and the SD Card Association has created a set of logos which manufacturers have to use to identify the different classes of cards.

Standard class cards have a number displayed within the letter C such as 2 being a minimum of 2MBps, 4 being 4MBps,6 being 6MBps, and 10 for 10MBps (bear in mind this is a minimum – these often run much faster and these cards will also generally be marked with the faster speed in large letters) Again, if you refer to the manual and verify your devices specifications it should tell you the speed at which it writes data to an SD card – match this to your cards and everything will be fine.

Ultra High Speed cards are also available for high end digital photography equipment.